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Sporting's Slanging Match With Sullivan Set To Smoulder On

Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 04/09/2017 - 10:27

We've been here before haven't we? As news that West Ham United are launching legal action against the Sporting Lisbon director who called co-chairman David Sullivan a “liar” and a “parasite” following the 'Wild' Willy C failed transfer, those of a sceptical persuasion might see the targeting of Nuno Saraiva, Sporting’s director of communications, who claimed Hammers had not made a formal written offer to sign the midfielder William Carvalho, as a 'slight of hand' from a PR point of view.

Smoke and mirrors?

It should be remembered that the back ground to this unsuccessful but ambitious bid was what seemed to have been a relatively good recruitment of players during the window, the news that West Ham were bidding for Carvalho was the icing on the cake,however this icing did come with a caveat! Having leaked a plethora of goals in the first three Premier League fixtures urgent attention was given to the midfield as the co-owners and their current manager finally realised that dear old Mark Noble's legs have gone, great servant that he has been, he has now become a liability whose lack of pace opposing teams will target more and more.

Hidden Agenda?
According to sunbets.co.uk Roberto Mancini has emerged as a front runner to replace Slaven Bilic as West Ham manager, should results not improve significantly.

David Sullivan has described Saraiva’s allegations as “nonsense” and is now taking legal proceedings, claiming his reputation has been damaged by a potential libel. A letter is being sent to Saraiva. West Ham also say they have an email showing that they did, indeed, on Aug 10, contact Sporting and their president Bruno de Carvalho to make an offer for William Carvalho which amounted to a minimum €25million (£23million), to be paid over three years, with additional terms and bonuses “to be discussed”. Negotiations dragged on, through agents, throughout August with Sporting apparently refusing to budge on their higher valuation for the Portuguese international who, it is understood, wanted to join West Ham and is upset that he did not make the move. Carvalho was manager Slaven Bilic’s number one target to be West Ham’s holding midfielder.
David Sullivan had told West Ham’s official website on Friday that Sporting had then contacted him on transfer deadline day, Thursday, to say they would accept a club record bid for midfielder Carvalho, after all.

Saraiva, however, responded, on Saturday claiming: (dodgy portugese to english translation of face book rant) “David Sullivan is lying. Sporting Clube de Portugal, as its chairman has already said, has received no offer for the player William Carvalho.” Saraiva also made derogatory remarks about Sullivan, and how he made his money through the adult entertainment business, and said he needed to provide proof backing up his claim that a bid had been made.
“David Sullivan has the duty of proving what he said,” Saraiva went on. “Sporting Clube de Portugal is challenging him to publish the proposals that he said were made, as well as the proof that Sporting CP received them. "One thing is clear: Sporting CP, as we have said, does not cut the legs off its players. But we have nothing to do with the behaviour of businessmen or family members who live off the players and who go around offering them from club to club at bargain basement prices, without any mandate, as if they were cheap supermarket produce. It devalues players, it devalues the club, and it creates unfortunate situations like this one, which has forced Sporting Club to take drastic measures to defend itself from these characters who live off some players like parasites."

Sullivan has reacted furiously. "We made bids through the agents acting for us,” he said, while an email was also sent directly to the president. Sullivan also spoke to Sporting last Thursday. “To say we never bid is utter nonsense!”

While this has all been going on, Roberto Mancini has emerged as a front runner to replace Slaven Bilic should results not improve significantly, the Zenit St Petersburg boss is second favourite behind Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez to take over at the London Stadium should Billic get the chop. The Croat, in the final year of his contract, is under increasing pressure following three successive Premier League defeats - all away from home while the London Stadium is re-configured following the World Athletics Championships - and another loss, against Huddersfield in a week’s time, would only increase the speculation.

Rafa left the club in the lurch when he chose to go to his ultimately unsuccessful spell as manager of Real Madrid.

Benitez is said to be unhappy about Newcastle’s failure to land his chosen targets during the transfer window and West Ham would need to pay £5million compensation to land him, alternatively if it has been decided that a new man, is required, former Manchester City boss Mancini who was linked with West Ham last season when Bilic found himself under pressure following a run of poor results, and the Italian was spotted at a West Ham match, the board eventually decided to persevere with Bilic and could do so again if their results improve.

Billic's position has not been helped by David Sullivan revealing that his manager had turned down Grzegorz Krychowiak, who went to West Brom on loan from PSG, and Renato Sanches, who joined Swansea in what was seen a something of a coup from Bayern Munich for the season, is Billic being. - Ed

Comments

Did they stop any more signings because they know they will have to pay 5 mill for Benitez perhaps? 5 mill won't buy much these days in the transfer market though thats for sure. Perhaps they are saving 5 mill and whatever it costs to sack Bilic and appoint Benitez? either way its all been a mess. as for Mancini, he may attract a few bigger names in the market than Bilic but he's a bit of a same same if you ask me.

Personally I doubt bilic has come to the conclusion nobles legs have gone. If so he wouldn't use him from the start anytime, but did v Newcastle. I expect the board to kick up a loud fuss about the carvalho thing for a few days/weeks and then quietly put it on the back burner and drop it. Expecting fans to remember the initial reaction but forget the result. As for 5 mill for a manager, gets the best money spent IF you get the right one!

i also think the board are using outright deception on this matter of bilic turning down sanchez and kryptonite. sanchez moved to be with a man he knows and has worked with before in clement. i bet the board had no intention of even trying to sign him as if they did he would have most likely said no thanks. kryptonite however who knows? although WBA are probably a better proposition than us at the moment.

Why did Sully put a bid through the agent? Obviously the player plays for the club and you approach them with a bid, maybe a courtesy email to the parasitic agent but no more. Does Sporting's valuation include the likelihood that the parasitic agent will need to be paid too and they've included this. Is Sully so switched on that he knows the percentage of a fee that goes to the parasite and this is why he bid only 25mill? And feels that any parasite fees can be negotiated once talks get underway? Have to say the influence of the parasites is a fackin joke and FIFA really should step in and reduce their influence including them parading "their" players like racehorses when contact between clubs has been initiated.
That being said it's highly possible that WH put in no bid and I for one would not be in the least bit surprised to find that to be the case.

Benitez would be the best signing as he figured out Bilic's tactics in a breeze and configured his lineup and tactics accordingly. If players like Ogbonna and Noble can barely move forward with the ball, it is really all about closing them down and that is what this is all about. There has to be younger and more versatile players, and seeing Carvalho play for Portugal was an eye opener, at what we missed out on. If the management want to redeem this season and if a convincing win is not achieved against Huddersfield and subsequent point gains in preceding matches, then definitely Benitez should be targeted.

but isn't it right: close down Noble and Oggie and you force West Ham to hoof it. And for several years now that's really just meant "clear it", i.e. give away possession and have them breathing right down our necks again.

I think the slanging match should be settled in the ring. Forget Mayweather v Mcgregor……LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE…..in the red corner, from darkest Portugal….Nuno "The Beast in Bed" Saraiva……in the blue corner, from London, David "The Sex Toy" Sullivan…….oh…oh no……The Sex Toy has slipped getting into the ring ladies and gentlemen….and he's fallen and he can't get up!

With this whole Sporting Lisbon civil case now in the pipeline, which managers are going to accept this position? Is it going to be another Sheffield United case where a huge fine could be imposed on West Ham? My take is that clubs should approach the owners if they want to purchase a player. Contacting an agent maybe considered to help Sporting Lisbon's case, as this could create an environment of uncertainty for the whole team if the player in question then decides that they want to move on now that there is interest from other clubs. Look at the disruption caused by Payet and even Sakho. Is Sakho going to play with any conviction now that he is not going anywhere?

we are still trying to buy Just William, so the Porn Dwarf is taking them to court for slander and still trying to do business with them... You couldnt make it up! But there again, The Scun probably have!

One thing which has been bugging me. Why would you release an e mail seeking to demonstrate that you have made an offer to the Sporting Club president and then redact the recipient's name ? It raises more questions than it answers. If it doesn't 't prove your point conclusively then don 't release it !

Typical WH though. Other teams successfully dealt with SL during the summer, but as per usual our negotiations drag on and on and in the end we get nothing, but look like complete amateurs! Facking humiliating tbh